PBG Minecraft Hardcore, Season Two
by Cindyrellabearo
Summary: Seven heroes embark on a journey with one purpose: to defeat the dreaded Wither. This is their story. (I love PBG's Hardcore series, and I thought it would be fun to create a novelization of them. Season two was my favorite, so I am starting with that one.)
1. Chapter 1

After the defeat of the dreaded Ender Dragon, there was an era of prosperity in the land of Harkör. The lone survivors of the ordeal, Jon and Barry, passed on the tale of their journey. They told the story not for their own glory, but to honor their five fallen companions. The two were hailed as heroes, and the land lived in peace and freedom from fear. However, the tranquility was broken when a new evil appeared: The Wither. While the seven heroes never had any direct descendants, their spirits were carried on in the form of seven new heroes, who set out to destroy this new adversary. Here is their story.

* * *

The story begins in a forest, where the young warriors gathered supplies to build their base. The woods were filled with busy chatter as people gather timber, food, and other materials. Austin Polonius Bartolomeo Galahad, nicknamed "PBG" for short, was not the youngest of the bunch by age, but maturity wise he was. He was timid and unsure, just like a child. As a member of the Royal Family, Austin spent most of his life within the confines of the castle walls. This bred his desire for adventure, but also his fear of danger. He idolized the heroes of the past who had defeated the Ender Dragon, and fantasized about being one of them. His wish came true when he heard news about the Wither. He was the one who assembled the team to defeat it.

Despite his childlike demeanor, he elected himself leader of the group, and marched them out of the forest; strangely, the group followed without contest. After a short walk, they came across a barren, sandy plain. "There's a desert, that's perfect. Let's set up base in the desert." directed Professor Stewart McJones.

From the time he could just speak, Stewart McJones was learning and being taught. He was apprenticed by the court mage of the Royal Family. Because of this, he grew up in the castle. He and Austin became very close to one another, and Stewart considered him a younger brother of sorts. Stewart was exceptionally bright and excelled in all his studies, becoming a Professor at a rather young age. He was the first to be included in the team; his knowledge would be essential to the quest.

Construction began on the group's shelter. Most of the group remained in the desert to build the house, but Barry stayed behind to mine in a ravine. Night began to fall, and Barry had still not returned to the base. Jared, growing worried for his friend, set out to find him. Jared ran to the ravine where Barry was, only to find it guarded by a horrible sight: a cursed skeleton in golden armor. Panicked, Jared shouted into the ravine, trying to call to Barry. Barry replied, assuring Jared that he was alright. He was relieved, but his shouting had drawn the attention of the deathly archer. The skeleton drew back its bow and shot at Jared, piercing his right shoulder. "I can't beat him with just a wooden sword. Damn my frailty!" Jared hissed to himself as he retreated back to base.

Diath Woodrow had gone by many names before, this time his alias was Jared. Diath was a rogue who had a reputation of infamy in many places. He was cunning and streetwise, as rogues tend to be. Austin knew full well of Jared's unsavory past, but he recruited him all the same; Jared was skilled and would be a great addition to the team.

He arrived safely, and was greeted happily by his teammates, especially when he told them that Barry was safe. This good news gave the group a sense of security, perhaps too much so. Growing restless in their small shack, they ventured outside into the cool desert night. They marveled at all the denizens of the dark that had appeared on the sandy dunes. A giant, horrifying spider spied them and crawled towards them. The beast bit into Jared, who was having a bout of particularly bad luck tonight. Austin hacked away at it with a pickaxe and finished it off. "Can we just stay in the house for a while, and _not_ get ourselves killed the first night?" Chided McJones.

* * *

The sun rose, and the creatures of the night began to burn away. There was still much that needed to be done; they needed more food, and Barry was still down in the ravine. To cover more ground, the party split up into groups. "McJones, Jared, and Tim, go save Barry. Kyle and Dean, come with me." instructed Austin. The group headed up by McJones marched down to the ravine and found Barry in fine health. The relief was short lived, because from the woods a tall green creature slinked out. "Creeper!" Shouted Jared. Tim turned around just in time to face the explosion head on. "Tim, are you okay?" asked McJones. Tim nodded, but he had definitely sustained a bit of damage. With Barry with them, they headed back to base.

Barry, while not formally tutored as Stewart had been, was perhaps the wisest in the group. He had skill in many aspects, and was quite knowledgeable. Had he received the education McJones had, he would have surpassed him in knowledge. He was not boastful of his intellect at all. Instead, he was patient and well mannered. Among the natural skills he had was the keen ability to sense signs and omens. This was a skill he used all his life, but never told anyone about. Perhaps because he was modest, or maybe he did not see how important the skill was; it came naturally to him, so he thought nothing of it!

Meanwhile, Austin, Kyle, and Dean entered a thick jungle in search of animals. Curious as ever, Austin and Dean ran ahead to explore. They walked along a river a short while, and then saw a most strange sight. In the distance loomed a great stone structure, unlike anything they had ever seen before. The stones were mossy, indicating that this building had been here a long time. The two approached the ancient thing and peered inside. There was not much inside, but a staircase leading down even further into the building. Dean was beyond excited; this was the kind of adventure he lived for! Austin was far more hesitant than his friend. Being as timid as he was, he begged Dean not to go in, who in turn urged Austin to do the opposite. "We'll come back to this, Dean." promised Austin as he climbed off the strange monument.

Out of the whole group, Dean was the youngest; not just by age, but in experience and maturity. He knew he was the least experienced, so he unconsciously made himself louder, perhaps in an attempt to prove himself. What he lacked in knowledge he made up for in enthusiasm. Like Austin, he craved adventure. Unlike Austin however, he did not have a fear of danger to dampen his desire to explore. Some call this bravery, others call it foolishness.

Returning to the jungle, Austin called out to Kyle, asking him if he had delivered the meat back to base. There was no response. Austin knew what had happened; Kyle had Lagg Syndrome, a disorder marked by bouts of extreme lethargy, mutism, and fainting. The disorder can be present as acute or chronic. Kyle unfortunately had the chronic variety, and he was no doubt having a spell of it right now. Dean and Austin carried on, because this was a fairly normal occurrence. It was late afternoon and they were still in the jungle, so Austin began making more effort to get back home. Dean tarried behind, getting distracted by everything in the jungle. "Dean, I'm going back with or without you. Let's go." Said Austin sternly. Begrudgingly, Dean complied and followed.

Kyle awoke from his Lagg stupor as Dean and Austin reached the desert. He called out to them to let them know he was alright. Their brief celebration was cut short when a tall, shadowy figure suddenly appeared. An Enderman started ominously teleporting towards Dean. "Guys, come here! We have to save Dean!" Austin shouted to his teammates. Dean ran screaming towards the house, and everyone filed in. The Enderman did not chase them that far, and they counted themselves as lucky. Barry thought the event to be quite strange: an Enderman in broad daylight? It seemed to be a bad omen, he thought to himself. He shook his head and ordered himself to think no more of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Kyle returned home. He admitted that in his state of Lagg he had lost all the meat he had gathered. "Just so you know, that whole trip was worth nothing." he said, chuckling at the absurdity of it. With everyone back at the base safe and sound, the mood was lighthearted. More construction was done on the house to make it a bit less cramped, and a bit safer at night. Each person added on with different coloured wood planks, so the house had a patchwork look to it. Kyle worked slowly and quietly, as he was having another Lagg fit. The group finished the first story, and began work on a second one.

Austin stood on the second story of the house, gazing out across the vast midnight desert. Just then, he heard a ghostly echo that chilled him down to the bone. "What was that roar?" he asked his friends on the floor below him. Everyone else had seemed to hear it as well. Professor McJones, living up to his name, explained that what they heard was the sound emitted by darkness. "There's a cave somewhere below us" he stated. Even with the explanation, the sound was still most unnerving.

Austin was joined by Barry, McJones, and Dean on the second story as they built a patio of sorts. Dean peered over the edge of the building to the ground below. "They're surrounding us…" he cautioned. A skeleton archer moved in closer to the building, focused on Dean. Jared egged him on, saying "Get him, brave Dean!" Unwilling to step down from a challenge, Dean dove over the patio fence to attack the enemy. Austin ran after him, not noticing the horror trailing after himself. "Spider behind you, Austin!" yelled McJones, slicing at the hideous arthropod. Austin was still focused on pulling up Dean, who was being pierced by arrow after arrow. Dean finally managed to scramble back onto the patio, and swiftly went back indoors. After such a close brush with death, everyone was in laughing hysterics. "I'm having fun!" laughed Austin deliriously.

* * *

The sun peeked over the horizon, and the creatures of the night were banished once more. All but the Creepers, who had power enough to stay even when the sun was out. McJones bravely, or perhaps recklessly, decided to dispatch them. Austin looked on in terror as McJones charged towards the explosive foe. "What are you doing? You're a crazy man!" he cried. Just then, a second creeper emerged over the sand hill, teaming up with the first. As silently as the creeper had come in, so did Barry, coming to aid Stewart McJones. "Stewart! No, no! We need you!" Austin begged him to come back inside. The creeper team grew as another one emerged. The first two blew up, but McJones was unscathed. He then quickly and efficiently cut down the third, and he emerged without a scratch. "Stewart, don't die. I don't know how to kill the Wither and you do." Austin said pleadingly. "I was fine." McJones retorted.

After the scuffle was resolved, Dean began talking about the strange temple they had seen in the jungle. He tried hard to convince Austin to go with him to explore it. The temple was shrouded in mystery and intrigue, which both Dean and Austin craved. However, Austin's desire to preserve his life overshadowed his desire for adventure. The eminent Professor told them that these temples could house riches like gold, iron, or even diamonds. This further fueled the fire in Dean; he _had_ to go now. Because of Austin's refusal, the group split up: Kyle and Austin would stay back and mine; Dean, McJones, and Barry would go explore the temple; Jared and Tim would hunt for food.

The temple team approached the monument with caution. After entering, McJones warned the other two to stay a good ways back as he delved further. The Professor descended the stairs to the dark, trap-laden basement of the temple. Stumbling down a corridor, he tripped a wire attached to an ancient trap. In an instant, an arrow flew past his head. He let out a sharp yelp of surprise. Had he been standing just a little to the left, the deadly projectile would have pierced his skull. Barry grew worried: "I'm having second thoughts about hanging out with you guys." McJones disarmed the remainder of the traps, and Dean and Barry followed after him. They surveyed the strange interior of the place while McJones raided the chests for their treasure. The chest contained much needed iron, and a single precious diamond.

The team exited the ruins and began making their way back home. They took a route through a swamp, and happened across Jared. He had apparently been separated from Tim while looking for food. He had managed to gather up mushrooms, but no meat. The sun was beginning to set, so they quickly started for home. They were slightly confused as to which direction was home, as none of them had a compass or map. They finally set out on the right path, but their confusion had taken a lot of their time. They ran through the desert, trying to beat the setting sun. Dean looked at the sun setting into the horizon, burning the sky orange. "We're not going to make it." He whispered solemnly.

They did make it, however. Just as the moon began to rise, McJones, Dean, and Barry all arrived at the base. They did a head count, and noticed one was missing: Jared. He was weak with hunger and could not run, so he had fallen behind.

"I'm not going to make it, I've ventured too far." He thought to himself. Everyone at the base was watching the horizon to see him. They called out to him and waited nervously, but were soon relieved to see the figure of Jared emerge. He made it back home perfectly unscathed, to which everyone was very happy.

* * *

Austin again heard the ghostly echo. He did not have a long time to dwell on it, because as he was looking through the chest, he spotted the diamond that McJones had found in the temple. While the glimmering blue gem was a pretty sight, they would need a lot more than one diamond to make all the equipment they needed to defeat the Wither. So, they started mining. McJones made his way to the mineshaft opening and noticed Kyle staring blankly at the sky. Kyle had been having a Lagg spell since the group went to the temple, Austin informed him. McJones barricaded his sickly friend so he would not be attacked in his vegetative state. He then proceeded down into the mine.

Austin, McJones, Jared, and Dean armed themselves with pickaxes and went to work. The four dug in a downward fashion, descending deeper into the depths of the world below. The atmosphere was dim, as no natural light could reach down so far. Torches illuminated the rocky hallways, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The work was grueling, but morale was upped when Jared came back with fresh baked bread and cookies. To each worker he allotted a portion of baked goods. With the food, the group worked harder and retrieved a fair amount of resources.

Progress had slowed after the mining trip. Everyone was too fatigued to work anymore. So the group relaxed, a few doing small renovations to the house. Jared, who had been hunting for food, had returned to the house. On his trip, he had stumbled upon a strange hole in the desert sand. Digging it up he discovered it to be a dungeon. Dean, who was ever full of energy, was trying to pull pranks on Kyle to relieve his boredom. Jared, who wanted to calm him down, told Dean "Once it's daylight, I'll take you with me to that dungeon. We'll ransack it, okay?" Dean happily agreed. A dungeon was just the sort of adventure he craved.

* * *

"Who put this stupid thing on the roof?" asked Dean, standing on the unfinished top of the house.

"Oh, whenever I start lagging horribly, I just write little signs for you to read later." Replied Kyle. He had left a few other signs around the house. The one on the roof read

"Dear Diary, Look at that view. Look at it."

Kyle was a pirate by lineage, but not by trade. His father was a seadog, and his mother was a wench his father had picked up at some coastal tavern. His parents both lived on his father's ship, the same ship Kyle was born on. He loved his parents, and strove to be just like his father, but his Lagg Syndrome kept him from this. It is unknown if the disease was caused by living on the ship, but it certainly did not help it. His illness made him take up a quieter hobby: poetry. Kyle was ill for so long he had plenty of time to hone his craft, and became excellent at writing. His father, though saddened that his son would not carry on the family tradition, still loved him, and gave him his pirate garb to wear when he was old enough. Kyle wore the outfit proudly when he joined the Wither-slaying team.


	3. Chapter 3

It did not take Dean long to grow restless in the house. He stepped outside to work off his boundless supply of energy. Jared went with him, knowing the desert nights to be especially dangerous. A mangled zombie moaned at the door, banging on the wood with its rotting arms. Dean drew his sword and swung at the foul creature. In the heat of the fight, neither Dean nor Jared heard the subtle sound of a bending bow.

A creak of the ancient wood, a snap of the string, and the deadly projectile flew. The arrow cut through the air in its precise arc to meet with its target. The arrow sunk hard into Dean's back. He fell at once, face-first onto the gritty sand. The contents of his inventory scattered on the ground around him. Blood painted the sand below him a deep crimson. The first had fallen.

"DEAN!" Jared shrieked in horror.

The bone-chilling scream drew the group out. Exiting the house, they were greeted with the grim sight of a sobbing Jared, desperately clutching the lifeless body of Dean. The group in shock talked over one another, asking how this happened. Through tears, Jared told them what had occurred. Everyone mourned, raising up cries and lamentations. Austin wept the loudest; he felt party responsible, because he was the one who recruited Dean on this Wither mission in the first place. He was too young, too inexperienced, his death is on my hands; these thoughts buzzed through Austin's head, and he was dizzy with guilt and anguish.

Jared held on to the still body of his young friend. This was the boy that not an hour ago he had promised to take with him exploring. Dean was like everyone's little brother. He did not deserve this. Jared carefully removed the arrow from Dean's back. He looked at the thing that had taken his friend's life. He snapped the accursed arrow and threw it away. It was not fair.

The sun began to rise, putting an end to that dreadful night. Facing the red horizon, through clenched teeth and tears, Austin vowed "I'm going to take on all the zombies, I'm going to take on all the monsters, for Dean!"

* * *

The whole attitude of the camp had changed. Everyone was much quieter than before. Still, the mission had to carry on. "With Dean gone, I going to need you to venture with me to that dungeon I found." Jared addressed Austin.

"I'll do it for Dean!" Austin replied. His tone was a mixture of sadness and excitement. He was glad to be able to go on an adventure, but he knew that this was a trip Dean was meant to take.

Everyone felt a little less safe now that they had their first taste of death. Austin constructed a pair of iron boots to protect himself; his fragility had dawned on him. With his armor equipped, he and Jared headed into the desert to find the dungeon. The sky was dim, and thick grey clouds loomed above. It was as if nature itself was mourning the untimely demise of Dean.

Jared and Austin soon arrived at the dungeon. The sand formed a depression where the cave was, and there was a hole that Jared had excavated to see the dungeon beneath. The dungeon was dark and covered in slimy green moss. The nauseating stench of rotten flesh permeated the air, indicating that this was a zombie dungeon. These horrifying keeps would repulse even the strongest willed of warriors, had they not contained chests full of unknown treasures. It was for treasure alone that they ventured here, and they would not leave without it. Wielding shovels, they went to work on uncovering the rest of the dungeon.

Austin and Jared had finally dug away enough sand to be able to get down into the room below. Jared dispatched the residents of the den and made his way to the treasure chest. After emptying the chest, they turned and began to climb back to the surface. Halfway up the stairs, Jared felt the sharp nails of the undead claw at his back. He ran faster towards the surface, drawing the zombie into the sun. Austin swung at the now-burning creature to keep it from chasing Jared any further. Though the hit had hurt quite a bit, Jared was in no permanent danger. As the two made their way back home, they inspected their loot. They had picked up two enchanted books, which would no doubt be helpful in their quest.

Arriving home, Austin realized that they had not built a proper memorial for Dean yet. "I was there when he died, I would like to help make the grave." Jared volunteered. Austin erected a stone cross over Dean's grave. While he built, the group remembered Dean. They talked about their memories in a bittersweet way, about how hyper he was, how hasty, but they loved him anyway. Jared came and laid Dean's sword on the grave. Though it still hurt, having a proper memorial made the group feel better, and the mood was lightened.

* * *

Mining had been going very well, and the group was well off with iron. Barry constructed several articles of armor to distribute. Jokingly, Kyle said "I'll take one, walking around this house is getting really dangerous." Kyle had grown even sicker lately, and had not been able to leave the house for days. He was acutely aware of his condition, so he decided to make light of the situation. He had been writing more frequently, as he had nothing else to do. His most recent sign was posted above the small reed farm McJones had planted indoors. The sign read "This garden is a source of comfort in my lag-time."

Most of the group had been fitted with some sort of armor. McJones pointed out that Tim and Kyle had not yet received any. "I'm kind of using the house as my armor right now." Quipped Kyle.

Now that everyone but Kyle was outfitted, McJones rounded up a team to go explore a ravine he had found. He chose Tim and Barry as his companions specifically because they were the most mature and capable. "It's going to be fairly dangerous." McJones warned them. Hearing this, Austin piped up "I'll go!" It was as if Austin was drawn to danger like a moth to a flame. Though it defeated the purpose of his selected team, McJones allowed it.

The small team descended into the mine to the underground ravine. It was truly a sight to behold. The ravine stretched like a hallway as far as the eye could see. Lava poured from holes in the cave wall, feeding into the lava river that covered the bottom of the ravine. The ceiling reached up to what looked like a hundred meters above them. The screech of bats echoed throughout the cave. It was places like this that reminded them how small they actually were. Tim stared up in absolute amazement at the foggy ceiling. "How big is this?" He asked incredulously.

The team carefully skirted the edge of the magma. Red hot embers jumped up onto the pathway occasionally. The heat of the molten river in combination with their iron armor was almost unbearable, so they walked quickly to solid ground away from it. Though the setting was most unpleasant, the ravine was rich with minerals. The distinct colors of various ores flecked the walls of the cave. With only minor interference from monsters, the group gathered plenty of resources. Austin declared it a most successful trip, to which the group agreed.

On the surface, Jared had left the house in search of food. This meant Kyle was all alone in the house. Someone had placed a chair against the wall, and on it he sat, going in and out of his Lagg state. He was sicker than ever before. He waited quietly and patiently, because it was all he could do. As was his custom, he wrote a sign and placed it above chair. The sign read:

"I suppose I must simply sit and accept the inevitable."

* * *

The mining group returned topside just in time for the sunrise. What would have been a welcoming sight was tarnished by an ill omen: an Enderman in the daylight. The misfortune it predicted was realized quickly; Kyle was dying. His Lagg syndrome had rendered him almost entirely catatonic. It was a losing battle he was fighting, and he was reaching the end of it. Austin was the first one he told. In the brief intervals between Lagg seizes, he struggled out his wish; he wanted to be put out of his misery. Austin felt like he had just been shot in the stomach. He wanted to argue with Kyle, tell him that he would get better, but he knew that was a lie. He knew Kyle was right. Who was he to deny his friend's last wish? With a heavy heart, Austin told the sad news to the rest of the group.

They took him outside, next to Dean's grave. There was too much shock for anyone to cry. In a moment, the deed was done, and Kyle was at rest.


	4. Chapter 4

With this second parting, the group grew more somber still. Kyle had become to them a shining example to follow; always hopeful in the face of adversity. Till his untimely, ultimate breath, Kyle had never ceased being good natured. The group took this to heart, silently and unanimously adopting his hope and perseverance.

Challenges forever awaited the team. The next trial they had to face was collecting obsidian stone. Gearing themselves, they marched down the narrow tunnelway that lead deep underground. The deeper they descended, the higher the temperature rose; a sure indicator they were nearing the molten lava of the ravine. Finally the hall opened up into the wide cave, and Jared, a stranger to this place, looked in awe and the frightening magnificence of it all.

McJones, for being perhaps one of the more responsible members, was tasked with mining the obsidian. Barry, the thinker that he was, stayed with him to watch his back. While McJones was mining, a particularly irritating bat swooped by. After a few dives, Barry was already tired of it. Pulling out his sword, he swung at the creature. The bat flew just out of reach, squeaking as if to taunt its assailant below. The mixture of the sweltering heat and the irritation of the bat made Barry reckless. In his chasing the bat, he unknowingly made eye-contact with an Enderman. This small mistake was not about to go unpunished by the Enderman. The horrifying, rattling groan of the specter echoed throughout the ravine, and in an instant the monster was there, right in front of Barry. The Enderman rushed at Barry, forcing him to backpedal. Barry swung his sword, trying to deflect the beast's draining touch, as he was backed into a small hole in the cave wall. McJones rushed in and landed the killing blow on the monster. Hearing the commotion, the rest of the group rushed to the scene. They were relieved to find their friend weak, but alive.

After the arduous task of collecting the obsidian had been completed, the team headed back to the surface. The mission had been a successful one, netting them more diamonds, at the cost of many creeper explosions. Jared in particular smelled of singed hair and sulfur when he returned. The group chattered about what to do with their newfound materials, and McJones was suddenly struck with reality. Mortality was now more real than ever, and it strikes unrelentingly at any time. Two of his comrades who had set out on this journey with him would never set eyes on the end goal; this thought was utterly harrowing.

"Let me say this right now in case I die."

The group turned to McJones. He told them how to summon the Wither in his stead, should he also die. His instructions were not met with such platitudes as "Don't talk like that, you are going to make it!" Having two team members die so suddenly was enough to make them more sober minded than that; Death was constantly at their heels, breathing down their necks and reminding them how very ephemeral living can be.

The next step in their long journey to the Wither was to create the portal to the world of the damned, known as the Nether. The consensus was to build the portal on the roof, partly because there was not room below, but also the portal is a massively unsettling edifice. The room was readied, and the black obsidian stones were hauled up and arranged into their proper form.

As he ascended the stairs to the roof, Austin saw out of the corner of his eye a tall, looming figure: an Enderman. After a second of surprise, he quickly looked down to avoid looking directly at it.

"There's an angry Enderman on top of our roof." Austin called out to his friends.

The others slowly crept out of the portal room, taking care to keep the Enderman only in their peripheral vision. Nervously, they debated whether or not to kill it, but before a decision was made the Enderman teleported, as they so often do. It left their field of vision, and just as they were about to let their guard down, it teleported right in front of them all. They yelled in fear as they dove away, trying not to meet its glowing purple eyes. As quickly as it had apparated in front of them, it disappeared. Though the sky was dreary and overcast, it was still very much daytime when the Enderman had appeared; a fact that was noted only by Barry.

Barry was growing more aware of the Endermen showing up in the day time. Thus far, their appearances had preceded terrible events. He struggled with himself, part of him not wanting to believe that the signs could be true, but deep inside he had a feeling that they were. He wondered if it was worth mentioning at all, and if his friends would even heed the warning. He decided to keep it to himself as he walked upstairs into the portal room.

The room was warm with many torches lining the walls leading to the portal. McJones stood on the steps facing the obsidian gateway. He held a flint stone in one hand, and a scrap of steel in the other. The rest of the team stood behind him in anxious anticipation.

"Here we go" said McJones.

McJones struck the flint with the steel and a shower of sparks flew from it, dousing the black rocks in front of him. Instantaneously, an otherworldly purple substance filled the portal. A chill settled over the room, which had only seconds before been warm to the point of stuffiness. All the torches in the room, though they still burned just as before, seemed to be sapped of their light. The substance that filled the portal was enigmatic; it was not a gas, a solid, or liquid. Rather, it seemed to be some unfathomable amalgamation of all three. It glowed a cold purple as it swirled within the frame. Taking in a deep breath, McJones set foot into the supernatural gateway, glanced at his friends, and was ripped out of his native dimension.


	5. Chapter 5

The Nether was by definition a horrid place, but the extent of it McJones had not entirely comprehended. The moment he stepped out of the portal, every sense of his was assailed. It was the most sweltering place he had ever been; the temperature of the ravine seemed almost frigid when compared to this heat. Slowing opening his watering eyes, he was met with the sight of veritable ocean of magma. The smell of sulfur and brimstone stung his nose and stuck to the back of his throat, leaving the faint taste of it on his tongue. The cacophony of a million suffering souls moaning in despair echoed forth from every direction. He took a few shaky steps before realizing the ground he was standing on was suspended mid-air above the lava. Just then, Austin stepped out from the portal, followed by Barry and Jared. They shuffled carefully around the platform, taking in the horrendous sight around them. Their gazing was cut short by the bone-chilling cry of a Ghast.

"Get a wall around us right now" McJones ordered. The four quickly set to building a cobblestone wall around the tiny perimeter. Tim traveled through as they were building, and joined in unquestioningly. They were relatively safe now, though they could not remain here forever. Their goal in the Nether was to take the skulls of the Wither Skeletons, and to do that they would have to search for a Nether Fortress. Barry stood on his toes and peered over the cobblestone wall, and, to his slight chagrin, found a fortress.

"There's a fortress this way" said Barry. McJones squinted in the direction Barry was pointing, but could not see anything. His glasses had steamed up in the heat and were more a hassle than anything. Trusting in Barry though he could not see the fortress, McJones began the arduous task of building a bridge to the fortress.

The bridge was a narrow cobblestone path, held aloft by some mixture of magic and hope. The group did not doubt McJones, nor did they question how it was he made the stones float. He speedily laid down stones with Barry right behind him, directing him where to go as he could still not see the fortress yet. Tim and Jared waited cautiously behind as the cobblestone tightrope was stretched out in front of them. Austin was not handling the situation well at all. He sat in the tiny shack, breathing deeply trying to steady himself. He was snapped back to his senses when the whispering sob of a Ghast echoed above the cobblestone hut.

The cry was heard by the whole team. They involuntarily paused for a second as a shudder went up all their spines. Jared, the brave rogue that he was, was beginning to crack under pressure. He looked around with increasing franticness, trying to locate the source of the sound, but the apparition yet remained unseen.

"He's far away, he's not bothering us" said Barry, attempting to keep not only the group, but himself calm. It was a rather pitiful attempt. The infernal mourning resounded again.

"He _sounds_ really close" Jared muttered, almost to himself. His hands trembled as he laid down more stones for the bridge. Barry and McJones continued to inch towards to goal, and though they were moving as fast as safely possible, it was not nearly fast enough to their liking. Every step they took was regret, but where they stood they knew not whether it was shorter to run back or to keep going forward. So, onwards they pressed. Meanwhile, Austin stepped out of their shack and peered around. He was the first to see the sobbing perpetrator.

"I see the Ghast! I see it!" Austin alerted, drawing out his bow. He dashed to the middle of the bridge where Jared stood frozen in fear. Austin shouted warnings to his friend, imploring him to run, but Jared continued to stare off in the distance, deeply in shock. Not willing to lose another teammate, Austin grit his teeth, grabbed Jared by the arm, and ran down the bridge.

"RUN!" Austin shrieked to those in front of him.

The group stood in a single file procession as McJones slammed down stones as fast as he could. The sound of explosions rang out behind them, as the Ghast began to shoot at them. Austin clutched his bow white-knuckled, shaking from head to toe. Everyone was yelling indiscernibly, which was not at all helping the rising tension. The land was just meters away, and the Ghast loomed overhead. Austin was on the brink of tears and a nervous breakdown, when McJones set down the final stone. With raw and aching hands, McJones motioned everybody uphill, where the entrance to the wicked castle was.

Inside the fortress, the immediate threat of the Ghast was gone, but it was replaced with many other dangers. No sooner had they entered the fortress than Tim was hit with a barrage of fireballs. The molten stuff stuck to his armor and burned like napalm. He let out a yelp of shock rather than pain; it was already so hot that the fire on him made little difference. Jared ran to him to help put out the fires.

"You'll be okay, your armor will protect you" Jared reassured him, patting out the flames. McJones, Austin, and Barry all turned to the monster that had shot at Tim. With bows drawn they fired back and snuffed out the Blaze. A victory, though small, was quite uplifting for the group. However, McJones reminded them:

"What we really came here for was the skeletons."

The skeletons in question were unlike any on the surface, unlike the one that had taken Dean's life. The skeletons they were after were Wither Skeletons, carriers of the Wither's Curse. Grimly, the group headed down a hallway leading deeper into the fortress. At the end of the corridor was a flow of lava and a perpendicular pathway. Austin ran to the head of the group and went left. He only took a few steps before he was met by the monster in question.

"OH, A SKELETON!" He shouted, brandishing his sword. He swung wildly while backpedaling, the fiend chasing him back. Barry quickly swooped in and slashed at the skeleton, but not before it landed a hit on Austin, cutting the skin his armor left exposed. Austin was suddenly filled with the most heinous, unnatural sensation he had felt in his life. His bones felt as if they were turning to dust, and his muscles ached as if they were being stretched too far. He felt as if all the water in his body had evaporated; his mouth was dry, and his skin felt like paper. He clutched his chest, which felt like it was being punched from the inside.

"What is hitting me? What is hitting me!?" he choked out, leaning on the wall for support.

"You have the Wither effect!" McJones answered fearfully.

Austin's eyes grew wide with panic. "What do I do!?" he shouted frantically.

"It'll go away" said McJones, unsuccessfully attempting to sound reassuring. He was correct, though. A moment later, the curse lifted, and Austin felt an emptiness where the pain had been a second before. No sooner had the effect left when Jared pointed ahead and shouted.

"Behind you! Blaze!" Jared ran forward and thrust the Blaze through, sending it into the lava flow behind it. As Jared, Barry, and Tim cleaned up the rest of the Blazes, Austin and McJones ran to find shelter. They found an abandoned room and called the rest of the group up to them. The three frantically scrambled up the staircase to the saferoom and sealed it off with a door. For the first time since they entered the Nether, the group let out a deep breath and took in this finite moment of reprieve.


End file.
